


Artist, To be Successful...

by My_Soul_and_Perfume



Category: Original Work
Genre: A take on Cal Newport's "Beyond Passion: The Science of Loving what You Do", Creative writing that is also academic writing, Featuring: Leonardo Da Vinci, Figurative Language, Philosophy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-04-13 18:15:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14118111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Soul_and_Perfume/pseuds/My_Soul_and_Perfume
Summary: What it takes to be a successful artist: an evolved point of view of Cal Newport's article, "Beyond Passion: The Science of Loving what You Do."





	Artist, To be Successful...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [purefoysgirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/purefoysgirl/gifts), [purplesocrates](https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplesocrates/gifts), [trr_rr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/trr_rr/gifts), [avidreader](https://archiveofourown.org/users/avidreader/gifts), [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts), [MaddyHughes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaddyHughes/gifts), [AGlassRoseNeverFades](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AGlassRoseNeverFades/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Beyond Passion: The Science of Loving what You do](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/366747) by Cal Newport. 



> The numbers in parentheses are footnotes!
> 
> I live off your comments and kudos

 

       The word successful is abstract. It can mean many pleasant things: precision, strength, perfection. As an artist, it is up to you to decipher the meaning of these qualities, but first you must master two important skills: autonomy (1) and competency (2).  
       To be successful, you must treat artistry as a precious object, one that can be seized by the hands of time and disappear with the wind one day; to remember that time is touching your soul from the deepest niches of your body, past the flesh and bone, and that there is no way to reverse its aging. The greatest artists who have ever lived were able accept this as truth; they embraced it with courage Leonardo Da Vinci, a gifted man who managed to illustrate the association between art and science, went through the motions of life doing what he loved passionately—almost insanely, some might say. He mastered time’s feral nature with an air of grace. Deep down in Da Vinci’s body, there was an hourglass counting down the days he had left until he would pass away and his art would cease to create itself. Da Vinci stared it down, right at its eyes, and just like a bored cobra, submitted to its rhythm. This acquired him a new skill in which he could appease his hunger for immortality by attaining all the gifts the world had to offer. He used these gifts as raw materials to create masterpieces, most of which the world still enjoys today. The fruits of his labor allowed him to pursue his scientific inquiries passionately until the end of his days.  
       Artist, dear artist, have patience and you may learn something new; you may discover that art is a phoenix that will always rise from ashes more beautiful than before; a road with many paths. On this road, remember to treat artistry with the same reverence as education. Imagine being on a track surrounded by obstacles, and at every obstacle there is a lesson to learn. Take out a pen and paper and write down that the next step to being successful is to overcome those obstacles: those strong, tenacious beasts who will try to be shadows of your most commonplace desires. Even if they bribe you to do their biddings, do not thoughtlessly strike to satisfying your hunger like a starving man without reviewing the consequences first. Remember that you have several academics at your retrieval; they are your tools. A new path has opened up beside the obstacle. Your body erupts into flame, transforming your flesh and bone from the inside out. Now more beautiful than ever,  you walk to the heart of the jungle, where success waits patiently. Success turns out to be another obstacle. It seems that it wants you to study its nature, but you already have that knowledge. All that is left to do is to reap the fruits of your labors and to pursue your artistic inquiries until the end of your days.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Did you feel like you could relate to this?
> 
> (1) Cal Newport, "Beyond Passion: The Science of Loving what You do"
> 
> (2) Cal Newport, "Beyond Passion: The Science of Loving what You do"


End file.
